Along with the UUA WordPress Theme, the UUA Outreach Team developed a recommended structure for the site’s content, its “information architecture.” Through a series of user tests with Optimal Workshop’s Treejack tool, we organized the content of the site into sections and subsections that are easier to use than what congregations typically use. Experienced UUs and non-UUs alike found this menu structure intuitive and helpful in finding what they needed.

If you download the demo menu and content, you may be able to cut and paste much of your current website content onto pages in this menu. You may also need to write some new pages for your site.

The structure of the menu can be customized. For example, you can change the page names and number of pages under “learning” to reflect the way your religious education program is organized. You can also rename pages to fit your staffing and programs, such as “Caring Team” rather than “Caring Committee.” Refrain from using page names and menu items that only insiders will understand. (For example, if your small group ministry is called Chalice Connections, go with a more descriptive name like “Small Groups.”)

Please consult the page-by-page guidance for ideas about what to say and show on each page. It can also help you improve your usability even further, with tips like “Make sure this page about X has a link to your page about Y, because 30% of users in our tests looked on page X for information about Y.”